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UN chopper crash lands in Dadu; 3 hurt
KARACHI : A UN helicopter distributing food aid to victims and carrying 13 people made a hard landing on water Friday causing injuries, Pakistani and UN officials said.No one was killed or critically injured in the incident, which happened in the Dadu area of Sindh province.
The Russian-built Mi-8 UN helicopter made a “forced landing” in water at 8:40 am (0340 GMT), World Food Programme (WFP) spokesman Barry Came said.
Pakistanis and foreigners were on the aircraft, including scouts, although they were not thought to be among the injured.
“We’re extremely relieved there were no deaths, but there have been injuries. We have 13 on board. There were no critical injuries.
“A rescue helicopter is on its way and will take the injured to Karachi,” the WFP spokesman said.
Iqbal Memon, a local administration official, said: “Due to some technical fault, the helicopter tried to make an emergency landing on an embankment and then it slipped into the water”.
Ghazi Salahuddin, the Dadu district police chief, said seven people sustained minor injuries and would be taken to Karachi for treatment.
“We are now trying to secure and recover the helicopter,” he said.
The incident happened north of Manchar lake. Villages in the area are still flooded and access is impossible by road, making air drops the only means for local people to receive food, officials said. afp
Courtesy www.aaj.tv